My dog jumps on other dogs' heads. :(

Obviously I'm going to ask my trainer about this at the next opportunity, but we JUST had a private lesson and this wasn't so much of an issue at the time...and we're in between obedience classes as the moment.

My puppy cannot NOT jump on dogs' heads when she meets them.

She does the weirdest thing (and she never used to...). She sees a dog and becomes very alert. Then as she gets closer (and the dog gets closer) she decides about 100 feet from the other dog that she has to crouch down on the ground. The other dog approaches her (or just walks near her) and she stays crouched for a count of...3? And then POUNCE!!

She immediately springs up and stands on her back legs and puts her paws all over their head and licks them all over the face and generally acts like she's going to try to scale them from front to back.

Of course this is EXTREMELY obnoxious. I would say at least 50% of dogs she does this to growl at her, and she is completely oblivious. She's even been snapped at and it hasn't given her a moments' pause. She really doesn't pick up on the doggy language (come on, even *I* know what bared teeth mean!). I don't immediately yank her away when a dog growls at her. I'm kneeled down with her and I want to actually give her the opportunity to absorb and react to what dogs are trying to tell her. If I pull her away she won't even get the chance to make the right decision on her own. However, I'm thinking the safest thing while we learn some un-obnoxious behaviour is for her not to meet strange dogs on the street.

I digress!!

Can someone give me an idea WHY she suddenly feels the need to jump on the heads of other dogs? Is this a dominance thing (or just a silly puppy thing)? I guess this is just dealt with like normal jumping up? The usual "have someone walk up and if she jumps they back away and ignore her until she sits again" deal?

I'm totally into putting in the work...but it's hard when we walk every day, several times a day and meet at least a few dogs on each walk. And, in my experience, the random person on the street doesn't have the patience to stop their walk and repeatedly walk up and then back away from a dog-in-training for 5 minutes. I guess, like everything with dogs, there's no quick fix for the head-jumping.

I wish she would just listen to what dogs are telling her. I'm guessing this is why she didn't learn any real bite inhibition from her siblings and mom. They probably DID react/reprimand her. She probably just didn't "hear" them.

Canine pups jump up and lick the older dog/wolves mouths in way of greeting. Its totally normal and not dominance at all.

Yes your pup is going overboard from the sounds of it, but just sounds over enthusiastic. It is obnoxious. Do you know of any adult dogs she can spend time with that can teach her manners safely? Dogs are the best at teaching pups 'dog' manners. I mean loose with the other dogs, not on leash (either her or the adult dog). It may take a few dogs of playing (loose) with for her to pick up on that this is not acceptable behaviour. And it may take time.

On leash I wouldn't have your dog interacting with others at this stage (I generally don't let dogs visit on leash if I can help it) Work on focus and fun. You want her to think you are 10 times better than any dog out there!

Canine pups jump up and lick the older dog/wolves mouths in way of greeting. Its totally normal and not dominance at all.

Yes your pup is going overboard from the sounds of it, but just sounds over enthusiastic. It is obnoxious. Do you know of any adult dogs she can spend time with that can teach her manners safely? Dogs are the best at teaching pups 'dog' manners. I mean loose with the other dogs, not on leash (either her or the adult dog). It may take a few dogs of playing (loose) with for her to pick up on that this is not acceptable behaviour. And it may take time.

On leash I wouldn't have your dog interacting with others at this stage (I generally don't let dogs visit on leash if I can help it) Work on focus and fun. You want her to think you are 10 times better than any dog out there!

I agree with dekka. if you have a older dog you know and trust let her try it ont hem. if I was closer I would send Blaze your way. He tolerates puppy antics, but also shows them that they cant get away with it, by swining his head away and leaving them alone, barring his teeth and yelping at them (he doesnt bite or try, just shows his teeth and trys to change the game to chase or somthing). he is the dog at the dog park every one sicks puppies on too as he is gentle, but lets it be known that its not fun to do to other dogs.

She is showing dominance. This usual only happens when a dominate female is having issues with the pecking order. (Alpha dog) In some cases an insecure alpha will feel the need to constantly remind the others of her status in the pack. If the others dogs are testing her, she would probably do more than mount them. She would snap, growl or bite. Unless hard core fighting breaks out, (not just a snap or growl) it is best to let them work it out on there own. Any interference will further shake her confidence and also embolden the other dog. This might lead to a fight. If she is able to show her dominance with repeated success she should loose her security issues and relax in her new role. Dogs do a pretty good job of deciding who their leader will be without fighting.

She is showing dominance. This usual only happens when a dominate female is having issues with the pecking order. (Alpha dog) In some cases an insecure alpha will feel the need to constantly remind the others of her status in the pack. If the others dogs are testing her, she would probably do more than mount them. She would snap, growl or bite. Unless hard core fighting breaks out, (not just a snap or growl) it is best to let them work it out on there own. Any interference will further shake her confidence and also embolden the other dog. This might lead to a fight. If she is able to show her dominance with repeated success she should loose her security issues and relax in her new role. Dogs do a pretty good job of deciding who their leader will be without fighting.

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Why do you assume its dominance. Jumping on dogs happens for sooo many more reasons that dominance. Its normal puppy behaviour, so does that mean all puppies are dominant?

The dominant dog does NOT need to constantly remind other dogs. In that case they are not alpha. By definition alphas are confident. Its the insecure middle men who constantly remind others.

And when meeting other dogs they should not be showing any of those overt behaviours upon greeting. It is rude no matter what the motivation. And if it was dominance (which I would be the farm it isn't) there is no way in He11 I would let my dog dominate dogs it just met. How horrible!

Yeah its just regular puppy behavior. I am sorry your puppy doesn't listen or want to listen to dog language because I also agree that would be the best way to teach her.

Bender pounces all the time on top of Sophie or he does sneak attacks but he is still a puppy and I don't mind because he only does this with her and thats how they play. LOL Sophie is so short compared to him she tries to stand on things to make herself taller.

You're lucky, though, because you have a lot of warning signs that she's about to "pounce." Now when you see the first hint of it about to happen, do whatever you have to do to prevent her from doing it. You could just walk away, or you could try some obedience behaviors ("leave it," "sit," hand touches, whatever) if she knows these cues VERY well and you know she'll do them with such a big distraction.

Unless hard core fighting breaks out, (not just a snap or growl) it is best to let them work it out on there own. Any interference will further shake her confidence and also embolden the other dog. This might lead to a fight.

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But these are random dogs she meets on the street. It's totally rude behaviour. Not everyone is cool with having their dog lash out in that way, either. Even if it is provoked.

And I can't just let her be physically reprimanded by dogs I don't know on the street. She's small, for starters. And I don't trust the random dog on the street to be mild in their correction. How do I know the dog isn't going to snap and actually bite or really attack her? And then where will my puppy be? Aside from in the hospital...I would imagine somewhat traumatized.

Yeah its just regular puppy behavior. I am sorry your puppy doesn't listen or want to listen to dog language because I also agree that would be the best way to teach her.

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Yeah, I would love it if she just got it. But I can only subject her to so much. I really hoped for a while that she would get it into her head when a dog growled or snapped...but no. So we'll have to do it another way. She couldn't just learn the easy (for me) way!